Microintervention Strategies: Disarming Microaggressions

In the United States, the omnipresence of racial bias and bigotry has led many to question the reasons for their persistence in light of widespread public condemnation. Social scientists have proposed a number of reasons for people’s failure to act: (a) the invisibility of modern forms of bias, (b) trivializing an incident as innocuous, (c) diffusion of responsibility, (d) fear of repercussions or retaliation, and (e) the paralysis of not knowing what to do. This presentation is aimed at addressing the last reason by providing participants with a repertoire of anti-bias strategies and tactics to overcome the expressions of microaggressions. This speech has several overarching goals: (a) elucidate the harmful impact of race-related bias on persons of color (b) acknowledge the central value of self-care in coping used by persons of color, (c) highlight the importance of disarming and neutralizing harmful microaggressions, and (d) suggest intervention strategies that can be used by targets, White allies and bystanders. Microinterventions are the everyday words or deeds, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicates to targets of microaggressions (a) validation of their experiential reality, (b) value as a person, (c) affirmation of their racial or group identity, (d) support and encouragement, and (e) reassurance that they are not alone. More importantly, they serve to enhance psychological well-being, and provide targets, allies and bystanders with a sense of control and self-efficacy. For anti-racists, they provide a repertoire of responses that can be used to directly disarm or counteract the effects of microaggressions by challenging perpetrators. They are interpersonal tools that are intended to counteract, change or stop microaggressions by subtly or overtly confronting and educating the perpetrator. This speech has two major objectives. First, it provides participants with the opportunity to learn, practice and rehearse microintervention strategies and tactics to disarm and neutralize expressions of bias by perpetrators while maintaining a respectful relationship. Second, to understand the admonition, “Do Something” to overcome silence and inaction rather than to perpetuate false consensus. Four strategies along with their specific tactics or best practices will be discussed in the workshop: (a) Make the “invisible” visible, (b) Educate the perpetrator or stakeholder, (c) Disarm the microaggression, and (d) Seek outside support or alliances.